Liverpool line-ups vs Southampton as bold Florian Wirtz and Trey Nyoni decisions made

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We asked Paul Gorst and Mark Jones just who they'd pick.

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Arne Slot has already laid his cards out on the table for this one, admitting that many of his big guns will be nowhere near the pitch when Liverpool begin their Carabao Cup campaign.

Jeremie Frimpong starts on the right side.

In midfield, Wataru Endo gets the nod alongside Curtis Jones with Trey Nyoni starting for the second successive season against the Saints in this competition.

Alexander Isak needs the minutes, so the £125m leads the line with Jayden Danns waiting in the wings and this competition is huge for Federico Chiesa, who is not in the Champions League squad and has Mohamed Salah ahead of him in the Premier League.

Italy forward Chiesa simply has to take the Carabao Cup by storm as a result.

On the left side, the exciting Rio Ngumoha starts as he aims to build on his eye-catching few months under Slot.

My team: Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Leoni, Gomez, Robertson; Endo, Jones; Salah, Nyoni, Ngumoha; Isak.

The first Carabao Cup tie of the season is always one to look forward to isn't it?

Well, unless you're Manchester United that is.

We're going to see some players that we haven't yet set eyes on this season at Anfield this evening, and Arne Slot has made it clear that he isn't so much going to shuffle his pack as choose a completely different deck entirely.

Giorgi Mamardashvili will make a debut in goal, and after Conor Bradley's busy afternoon up against Jack Grealish I think the back four basically picks itself - Jeremie Frimpong, exciting debutant Giovanni Leoni, Joe Gomez and captain Andy Robertson.

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It is then in midfield that I think the real selection dilemma occurs, and after much consideration I think I'd give a start to Florian Wirtz after he was left out at the weekend.

I'd start him as the No.10 with Wataru Endo and Curtis Jones behind him, but with an eye on Trey Nyoni coming on as the first sub, perhaps at half-time.

The logical front three would then be Federico Chiesa, Alexander Isak and Rio Ngumoha, with the 17-year-old ready to light up Anfield once again and Isak in need of some valuable minutes.

An hour should do, before Jayden Danns is unleashed on Southampton again.

My team: Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Leoni, Gomez, Robertson; Endo, Jones; Chiesa, Wirtz, Ngumoha; Isak.